Maggie Creek Road
by LadyJibbs
Summary: Jenny takes the team to a surprising place, where they learn a little something that they didn't know about the director.
1. Honky Tonk and Questions

The team always went out somewhere when they were all off together. Each person got a chance to choose where they were going and this time it was Jenny's turn. They all figured she was going to pick some upscale restaurant or the ballet that was in the area but was completely surprised when she told them to dress comfortable in blue jeans. They were completely surprised when Jenny pulled up in front of a county western bar in Virginia. Jenny, Jethro, Abby, and Ziva all got out of Jenny's car. Tony, Tim, and Ducky got out of Tony's car. "Um… Boss are you sure we are in the right place?"

"Don't know Dinozzo, You'll have to ask the director."

Ziva turned to look at Jenny. "You brought us to a honey tonk, Jenny."

"That's Honky Tonk, Ziva. But really Director, you chose this? I would have expected this from Gibbs but …" Tony stopped when he noticed the glare Gibbs was giving him.

Jenny smiled at everyone. "Yes I did pick this and no Jethro had no input. As surprising as it may seem, I actually enjoy country music and bars. Figured it would be a nice change from the other things we have done." She walked toward the door. She turned around and smirked at the team, who were still standing at the cars. "Are you all coming or are you scared?"

The team moved. Jethro picked up the pace to reach were Jenny was standing. He took her hand in his and walked toward the door. The team followed them in the door. Everyone was a little surprised that the place was nothing like they expected. Jenny led them to a table in the corner, near a stage. When they sat down she took in all the looks on their faces. "Ok, all of you look like you have something to ask, why don't you all go ahead."

Tony spoke up first. "Guess we are just a little surprised."

Jenny raised her eyebrow. "What are you surprised about? That I would actually choose a place like this or the place?"

"A little of both."

She watched as Jethro pulled out her chair and she took a seat. "Well Agent Dinozzo, to answer your first question, I enjoy this place. I like the music, atmosphere, and people. As far as the place, not every country and western bar is like what you see in the movies. This is kind of a more upscale bar. No peanut shells on the floor, no smoking in the building, and no barroom brawls. Do you honestly think I would hang out in places like that?"

"You used to." Jethro leaned over close to her so he could whisper in her ear. "In fact I remember having your pinned against a wall in a back room in one of those bars and being very thankful that there was really loud music to keep people from hearing you scream my…"

Jen placed her hand over his mouth to keep him from finishing. "Alright. You have proved your point so shut up."

Tony spoke up. "I don't know about everybody else but I wouldn't mind hearing the rest of the story."

Jethro looked at Ziva. "Ziva would you?" He pointed over at Tony.

"My pleasure Gibbs." Ziva reached over and slapped Tony on the back of the head. "I really enjoy doing that."

Jenny smiled at the group. She really enjoyed the nights out that she could spend with the group. It made them feel like a family. Ziva, Tony, Tim, and Abby were the children. Always getting on each others nerves but willing to beat the shit out of anyone who hurt one of them. Ducky was the father figure that she had not had since her father died. He was the one who would give her support and being around him made her feel like she did with her dad. And then there was Jethro. Jethro was the father figure for the kids and was her partner. He was her protector, her best friend, and her lover. Now that they all were family, she felt it was time to let them in on something.

Jethro pulled Jenny out of her thoughts. "So Jen, how long have you been coming here?"

"Not that long, just a couple of months. I would come when I didn't have to stay too late in MTAC on Friday nights." She noticed the surprised look on Jethro's face. "Only on the nights when you had to work really late on cases. It was a nice distraction."

"How did you even find this place, Jennifer?"

"I didn't Ducky. Someone asked me to come here. The bar has been holding a local talent contest. Someone I know has been in the contest and she asked me to come support her." She noticed the looks on everyone faces. "Tonight is the final part of the contest and I told her I would come. Bringing all of you tonight would allow me to do some things that I really want to do, hang out with you all and introduce you to someone who is very important in my life."

"Who is it Jen?"

"It's my…"

She was interrupted by the announcer on stage. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to start off by thanking everyone for coming out tonight. Tonight is a big night for one lucky person. The two people standing to my left have been in two month contest that we have been holding for local talent. Both of them have been asked to perform a song that each one has written. First up is not only pretty to look at but has a voice of an angel. Welcome to the stage, Bella."

The team noticed the girl take the stage. The announcer was right, she was very pretty. She was petite, young, and had an air of confidence. She had fiery red hair and deep chocolate brown eyes. They noticed her search out the crowd and smiled really big when she saw Jenny. They also noticed Jenny return that smile and mouth good luck. They knew that this girl was who Jenny was talking about, now the only question was who she was.


	2. Life through a Song

_Sorry for the delay of updates. Real life can be crazy. Working on Tough Question and trying to deside what Lady A song to do next. This story just has been the easiet for me to do. Hope you like it. Isabella is the only thing I can say that I own. Also the song is "Maggie Creek Road" by Reba. Go listen to it on youtube, it's great._

The team watched as the girl on the stage handed a sheet of paper to each member of the band on the stage. The music started up slow and steady. She nodded to each member that they had the correct beat going and walked up to the mike. When she spoke you could hear that she had a very strong southern twang. "I wanna thank each person for coming out tonight. I wrote this song about 4 years ago. It's the first time I have sung it to anybody. I've dedicated it to a very special person who is here tonight. Hope y'all like it."

Clasping the mike in her hands, she bowed her head and started moving her body to the beat slightly. You could see everyone waiting to hear exactly what the song was. When she opened her mouth and started the first words of the song, everyone could understand why she had gotten where she was right now.

_Mama stood on the front porch ringin' her hands_

_Watched the tail lights fadin' on his black tranzam_

_With her precious little baby taking off inside_

_Staring at him with stars in her eyes_

_She tried to tell her but the girl might as well have been deaf_

_She wasn't gonna listen to a word she said_

_Don't go down Maggie Creek Road_

_With a boy lookin' like that_

_He'll tell ya thangs that you wanna hear_

_And they'll be no turnin' back_

_There's an oak tree down by the lake_

_In the shade where the wild flowers grow_

_What'll happen only heaven knows_

_So don't go down Maggie Creek Road_

Looking at the girl on the stage no one would know that she was not with them. She knew that she was on the stage singing but in her mind she was in another time, her past. She was a 17 year old senior in high school, standing in the door way of her mom's home in DC. On the street in front of her house there was a boy waiting on her to come out and have fun on her first real date. She was standing there listening to her mom tell her the million reasons she should not go out with this boy. He was the typical bad boy that your mom always warned you about. He skipped school, smoked, and drove a midnight black tranzam but she didn't care what anybody said about him. She knew him, he was just misunderstood. He had told her that she was the girl he had been looking for all of his life, they were destined. She was going to be with him. Nothing would stop her. She walked down the steps and got in his car. She heard her mom shout.

"_Isabella, Do __**Not**__ go with that boy!"_

She leaned her head out the window of the car as he pulled away. _"Relax mom! It's ok. See you at 11."_

_Was a still black night as dark is cold_

_Nobody heard her when she said no_

_She kicked and screamed and got free somehow_

_Tore her dress on the door when he pushed her out_

_She walked 13 miles on the gravel road_

_With tears in her eyes 20 years ago_

_Don't go down Maggie Creek Road_

_With a boy lookin' like that_

_He'll tell ya thangs that you wanna hear_

_And they'll be no turnin' back_

_There's an oak tree down by the lake_

_In the shade where the wild flowers grow_

_What'll happen only heaven knows_

_So don't go down Maggie Creek Road_

Jethro watched as the girl sang. He had to admit that she had a wonderful voice but there was just something about her that made her amazing. The look on her face as she sang told him that this song was very personal. He also noticed the way at times she was looking at Jen and the way Jen looked back. This made him very interested in not only the song but just how this girl was connected to her.

_Somehow mama's always know_

_Cause they shoulda been home an hour ago_

_When she pulled up it was just going down_

_She turned her headlights off didn't make a sound_

_She heard her baby crying no but he wouldn't stop_

_Her heart went cold and her blood ran hot_

_With a pistol in her hand she opened his door_

_You don't wanna see mama go to war._

_Don't go down Maggie Creek Road_

_With a boy lookin' like that_

_He'll tell ya thangs that you wanna hear_

_And they'll be no turnin' back_

_There's an oak tree down by the lake_

_In the shade where the wild flowers grow_

_What'll happen only heaven knows_

_So don't go down _

_I say don't go down_

_Maggie Creek Road_

_don't go down... Maggie Creek Road_

_Maggie Creek Road._

Jethro watched as the girl finished singing. The look on her face told him that this song was hard for her to share. He noticed she was holding back the tears in her eyes. He also noticed that her eyes were locked on Jenny. He looked beside him when he felt Jenny shift in her seat. He watched her get out of her chair and walk quickly to the back of the bar. He got up and followed behind her. When he reached her, he noticed the tears in her eyes too. He needed to know what was making her cry because that was the only way he could fix what was wrong. He laid a hand on her shoulder to allow her to know he was with her. "Jen…"

The only person that she didn't want to see her like this was standing behind her. She was not ready to explain what was going on to him right now. She wiped her eyes and prepared to delay the conversation she knew he wanted to have. "I'm alright Jethro."

"No you're not alright. You're crying."

She turned back and looked him right in the eyes. "I'm fine." She saw that he was not buying it. "I really am honey." She took his hand in hers. "I'm ready to head back to the table. Later tonight when we get home, I'll explain everything. I just have to ask that you not ask any more questions until then."

"Ok. Let's head back to the team before they kill each other." They walked back to the table and the first thing he noticed was that the young lady that was singing was sitting at the table with the team. He noticed that the team was listening to her talk, mouths hanging wide with amazement. "What's going on?"

Abby was the first to speak up. "This girl is like a mind reader silver fox. She was able to tell us our names in like only seconds after meeting us."

"It's not mind reading Abby. It's simple observations and using prior knowledge of all of you to reach my conclusions. McGee is easy. While he has been with the team for a while he still has problem of being the probie member. He tries to show his seniority by dressing older. He also is intelligent. A graduate of MIT and accomplished author. This is easily seen in the fact that he was told to dress relaxed and comfortable and he chose to wear a sport coat and tie."

Tony interrupted. "A nice way of saying you are dressed like a nerd, McGeekey."

"Tony, you are the senior member of the team. You try to lead the team but just aren't sure of yourself. You look for guidance and praise from Gibbs. That is why you look at him some of the time before speaking or doing anything. You come from money and fancy yourself a ladies man. That is why even dressed down; you look like you have stepped out of a fashion magazine showcasing the latest in comfort wear. I also know this because you have trained your eye to stare at every woman in the bar that is showing the least bit of cleavage and give them the lady killer smile. This includes the director."

Tony could almost feel Gibbs eyes staring a hole through him. "Sorry boss. Won't happen again."

"Ziva. Of course the nationality is a dead give away but even without that you show yourself. The way you sit shows that you are always on guard. That is the Mossad training. You dress in a way that is sexy, fun, but also dangerous. It allows you to fight if needed. You also are still trying to find your place in the group so you are kind of stand offish but still protective. Also another dead give away is the fact that other than Gibbs and the director, you are the only one who is carrying." Bella noticed the look she was given. "Gun is on your side hip and the small of your back. You are carrying a knife on the boot of your left ankle and left hip area."

Ziva nodded that she was correct with what she was carrying. "Very good."

"Next Ducky. Ahh… The Scottish Gentleman. The only person I know that would wear a bow tie and coat to a country and western bar. I also notice the way you are with the women of your group. Always making sure that their needs are met first before the men."

"Very good my dear."

Abby spoke up next. "I guess I was the easiest since I'm wearing all black."

"That did help with the Goth idea but actually it's your behavior that gives you away first Abby. Overly happy is displayed by the fact you are always smiling. You show your love for the team by bestowing hugs and making sure that each member is happy and having a good time. And you are always on the go and moving around, earning you the nickname Energizer Abby." She looked around to see who was left. "The last one is Jethro. The fearless leader. Everyone looks to you for what to do next. You are also protective of each member, shown by the place you sat. You sat at the place that gave you the best view of every team member and also every person in the bar. This allowed you to watch everyone and see the threat before it happened. One person on the team however has most of your attention and that is the director. You are very emotionally invested in her showing that your relationship is more than just employee/employer. The fact alone that you have given the death glare at any man who so much as looks at her shows that you care for her deeply."

Jethro was the first to speak up. "Very interesting how you know so much about all of us. Just tell me, how did you come about your information?"

Jenny spoke up. "I told her about all of you. Just a little bit about all of you. She reached her conclusions all on her own. You see she is a criminal and forensic psychologist. Really more of a profiler. She is with a very special group called the Behavioral Analyst Unit with the FBI. I would like to introduce all of you to FBI Special Agent Isabella Michelle Shepard." Jenny took in the look on each one of the team members face before she continued. "My daughter."

*_hope to have next chapter up next week but no promises. Jenny will explain to Jethro all about Bella in it._


End file.
